The Nappy Lady

I know right?! But the advice and support is amazing. Like all areas Of life there are clearly people who are entirely devoted to their specialist subject and not much else I guess! I quite enjoy ours but I?m definitely not obsessed thankfully!!

Hi, please don?t keep them in the garden it is too cold for them in the winter Please join the Guinea Pig Forum for help and advice. I know people used to keep them that way but these days it is strongly advised against as is keeping them in with rabbits which used to be really common. Rabbits jump on them and break their limbs and also (trying to be delicate here), can get ?too friendly?. All pretty horrific. So much animal husbandry has changed since we were children, I was surprised too when we looked into it all before getting ours. We have two lovely boars, now two years old. They live in my children?s bedroom. Unlike hamsters etc they are active in the day (actually only sleep 2-3 hours in any 24 but are quiet and only squeak when begging for food - at which point they are quite noisy!! They need quite a bit of space - more than the hutch most people used to use / tend to imagine - our two have a run equivalent to the size of a single bed - actually under a mid height sleeper. This ensures quality of life and avoids them fighting which happens if they don?t have enough room. They live on fleece bedding which is changed and washed weekly. They need fresh veggies daily and a constant Supply of hay and pellet food once a day too. They are lovely pets, they get quite tame and like / love to be hand fed but most piggies don?t like being picked up or cuddled very much (some are better than others). Average life span is 8 years. There are loads in need of rehoming - and it?s a good way to do it as they are often more used to being handled and calmer than young piggies. Here?s a link to the forum I mentioned. https://www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/ You?re welcome to come and meet our boys after lockdown or to ask more questions in the meantime. But honestly they can only go outside in summer and you?d need an eglu run I would say to be sure of keeping them safe from foxes. I?ve heard of foxes getting into wooden hutches many times. Best wishes.

Trees at the Clockhouse, bottom of Barry Rd are excellent as always. Rather hidden by the current roadworks but business as usual. Much cheaper than that place on Goose Green too (I was curious & hadn?t seen this thread so popped in when I was passing. Stupid prices for the trees there.

James, I?m not talking about employees, I am talking about companies that HAVE to have vans in order to operate - eg without the vans the business would have to close. I know several businesses in ED that will be effected in this way. So again, I don?t feel your explanation is acceptable. Furthermore, it is my understanding that as an employee I cannot have a business permit for my car as obviously it is registered to my home address, not my workplace in ED. So to be clear that is absolutely not why I am pursuing this point. However, it is the case that I am anxious about the cost of the business permits for the small independent company I work for. If CPZ comes in I will have to reduce my hours and take a pay cut to allow myself the extra time needed to walk or bus to work and back, or take an effective pay cut by paying around ?30 a week or more to continue to work in the way I have for over 11 years. So either way I am facing stress, despite the fact I always manage to park within two minutes of work, five days a week, at varying times from 8am to 11am, and sometimes later if I?ve had to run errands. Strange then to consider CPZ is needed don?t you think? -------------------- Molly

James, I?m not talking about employees, I am talking about companies that HAVE to have vans in order to operate - eg without the vans the business would have to close. I know several businesses in ED that will be effected in this way. So again, I don?t feel your explanation is acceptable. Furthermore, it is my understanding that as an employee I cannot have a business permit for my car as obviously it is registered to my home address, not my workplace in ED. So to be clear that is absolutely not why I am pursuing this point. However, it is the case that I am anxious about the cost of the business permits for the small independent company I work for. If CPZ comes in I will have to reduce my hours and take a pay cut to allow myself the extra time needed to walk or bus to work and back, or take an effective pay cut by paying around ?30 a week or more to continue to work in the way I have for over 11 years. So either way I am facing stress, despite the fact I always manage to park within two minutes of work, five days a week, at varying times from 8am to 11am, and sometimes later if I?ve had to run errands. Strange then to consider CPZ is needed don?t you think?

?The business permit rates are benchmarked against other boroughs. Southwark's are cheaper than Lambeth, Islington, Hammersmith and Fulham, and Tower Hamlets. Furthermore, Westminster, City of London, and Kensington and Chelsea do not have business permits at all so local businesses have to pay the more expensive pay-per-hour rate.l But again I ask, why should the businesses pay FIVE TIMES more for a permit than a resident does? Businesses pay high business rates, I see no argument to justify why their parking permit should be higher than the residents permit? Saying it?s comparable to other bouroughs is, with all due respect not an acceptable argument (if I said your neighbor pays her cleaner ?50 an hour so you should too I?m sure you?d have something to say about it)! We were told the cost of the permits is set in order to cover the cost of implementing & running the scheme. Someone please do the maths for me the income will cover these costs many times over & yes, yes we know the surplus will be used for road repairs etc .... So is the suggestion here that the local businesses DESERVE to contribute more to the scheme than the local residents do, and if so, why? The shops & businesses make the area vibrant, they bring revenue to the area, they employ local people, they already contribute so much. I don?t understand the rationale, does anyone else? Yet more proof, as if we need it, that the CPZ is nothing more than yet another money making, arbitrary tax on the local people & local businesses. I?m sorry James, you haven?t answered my question at all.

James, I asked about different times zones on different roads within the area and was told it wasn't possible and if it comes in the entire zone will have controlled parking across the same times. BONKERS!!!!

James, At the local business meeting with the council last Tuesday re the CPZ consultation I raised a question as to why the business vehicle permit rate is five times more expensive than a residents parking permit & was told that this rate is set by central government. After further investigation I am led to understand that whilst that answe was true, what we were NOT told is that this is the MAXIMUM amount that can be charged and that every council has the ability to reduce that rate as they see fit. Given that Southwark council claims that it wishes to work with local businesses, and to support them I would like you to explain the rationale behind the business permits being so much more expensive than the residents permits. As the cost of the permits is (we are told) intended to cover the cost of implementing and running the CPZ, with any surplus being used only for road repairs etc it seems to me that the amount the council would be making, if all permits were equal at ?125 per vehicle would be more than enough with many thousands to spare.Why are local businesses who bring revenue and employment to the area being penalised? Please speak to whoever you need to in order to be able to clarify this and if need be to explain why the cost of the business permits cannot be reduced. Thank you.

Something else I have found out. At the local business meeting with Southwark Council I asked them why the business vehicle permit was so much higher than a residents parking permit (?575 versus ?125). It?s a huge discrepancy and as they claim to want to support local businesses doesn?t make sense. They say the permit fee is to cover the costs to implement the scheme, well the revenue raised is going to more than cover that and leave many thousands of pounds to be put into road repairs etc. The council replied that ?the rate for business vehicles is set by central government not by them?. This is true.....what they DIDN?T say is that that rate is the MAXIMUM that can be charged. Every council has authority to reduce the rate - so there?s no reason they can?t reduce the rate for business vehicles. Imagine for instance some of our lovely Northcross Road stallholders who come to run their stall once a week, I can?t see that many of them will afford a business parking permit. Why should the businesses who are serving the local residents, employing local people and helping the community to thrive have to pay five times the amount to park a vehicle on the road? A vehicle that already has road tax, that serves a business that they?ve also paid huge business rates on? Personally I think all vehicles should pay the same amount if the CPZ comes in. I think we need to challenge Southwark on this and remind them they CAN REDUCE the cost of the permits. In fact for everyone the permit could be less, though I fear we have little chance of them reducing it. Do the maths of just how much money they are going to make on the permits. It?s a lot of money. Way more than it needs to be to ?cover the costs of the scheme? and as I?ve said before there are free controlled parking schemes they could bring in that would have the same effect without ?taxing? the local residents & business owners.

At the local business meeting with the council the other day they told us they were collecting anonymous data from mobile phones to work out where people who park are coming from and if they are then commuting into town etc!!! You see they all seem to be saying different things at different meetings. There?s no reason they can?t implement a 2 hour free parking with times ticket from a machine to deter commuters and free residents permits. But they need to generate revenue. Don?t be fooled.

The council said at the meeting on Tuesday that the whole area would be 1 zone so anyone who lives up by the Plough with a permit for instance could park down by the station. I suspect a few people do that.

Hi all, I've tried to read all through this long thread, and honestly I do appreciate the parking issues around East Dulwich Station. This is how I use Lordship Lane - as an example of a user who will be affected by CPZ quite badly. I live in Nunhead and work in East Dulwich, and have done for over 10 years. When I can I cycle to work, and sometimes walk, BUT the reality of my life as a busy working Mum is that I am always chasing my tail, and cramming in a LOT. So, 3 times a week I go to ESPH Gym for about 2 hours, plus some post gym shopping time. In the week, I have to drop 1 child to primary school, and help my other, older child get to secondary school some way away - we used to rely on buses for her but the school is REALLY harsh on them if they are late - instant 30 minute detention, and the two buses it took to get her to school were to unreliable, and I'm not happy for her to cycle because of the route she'd have to take. So, I go to the gym, then at least twice a week I pop down Lordship Lane and pick up groceries, go to the Chemist, Falmers etc. and then on to work where I work 35-40 hours a week.... I finish work and dash home to feed kids, oversee homework etc. IF the CPZ comes in, and IF it is paid parking for 2 hours at ?2.75 per hour, for me that will mean ?27.50 a week, or about ?100 a month that I will be paying to be at work. If the CPZ is longer then that will increase. The reality of that is I may not be able to use the gym any more, and then I wont be using the local shops either. Work - well yes, I guess I can still do that and I will just have to drop the kids, then go home, then cycle or bus back if I don't want to pay for the parking - but that will reduce my working hours and my income (but if I pay to park that reduces my income too effectively). I drive an electric car, and I've lived in the area over 20 years. I am really proud to live and work locally, and I don't want any of it to change. If Southwark were to introduce free controlled parking restrictions I'd have no issue - by all means offer machine produced timed tickets that provide up to 2 hours free parking. That would get rid of the commuters, and mean people don't take up spaces all day. It wouldn't solve my parking for work problem, but surely this really only needs to be put in place down around the station anyway? The area they have included seems huge - I never have a problem parking (all week) anywhere from ESPH gym, through to Barry Road. The only difficult day is Saturday when the market is on. Do residents really want to be paying for permits? What about when you have building work and on top of the other build costs you're facing maybe ?30 a day for the workers vans plus the skip permit costs? Over an 11 week build that would mount up. What about when people come to provide you with a quote and you have to pay for them to park for an hour when they are only in the house 10 minutes? Won't that be annoying? I am not posting to say 'poor me' I am posting to try to show that it isn't as simple as saying 'people can pay to park for an hour and do their shopping'. There are others lke me who work locally, and lots of us have to use our cars because of life logistics. I know it's an irony to drive to the gym, but I have to get the kids to school first, and I have to get to work afterwards, so it is how I fit it all in, and it allows me to shop locally and support the local shops too. I have seen Lordship Lane transfer from a run down, tatty high street into a thriving community, it is wonderful now, and I don't want us to loose what we have. I love this area, and I've always loved the fact that unlike other boroughs we don't have parking restrictions, I've seen it as a bonus, even if it means I can't always park right outside my house. For me the Pros outweigh the Cons. If Southwark only want to improve our lives and reduce traffice and deter commuters they can find a way to do that WITHOUT it involving paid parking. Anyway, I wasn't sure if I wanted to raise my head above the parapet and post, and it's only one persons view, but for me, if it does come in, I hope it's only around the station and not all the way up the lane.

At busy times most of the traffic is hardly moving anyway, so a controlled right turn wouldn't cause any greater delay than having a whole load of extra cars being forced to go considerably out of their way because there isn't anywhere to turn right. I really think that stretch of road is badly thought out, as Bobbsy said. If the road planners actually had to use it at busy times they would soon change it. Total madness.

Hi Bobbsy Last few times I have come back down Sydenham Hill I can't turn right to go down to the South Circular as cars are backed right up to the junction trying to get through the lights at the bottom and on to the South Circular. It's impossible. So instead I go down, left onto South Circular, then have to go all the way to Upland Road before I can turn right. Adding to the weight of traffic. There needs to be an allowed right turn before that, if need be they should put in a proper turning with lights or something. It's madness trying to get down and across the South Circular if you want to get over towards Nunhead. Thanks James (not) for sorting out that No Right Turn sign. Sigh.

This isn't the first time I have heard of a mugging like this in the Peckham Rye area - I know of two others very similar - knife point, forced to give up phone, unlock it and give the code / reset it to factory settings there and then. Please be careful people, it's always been 3 lads too, so does make me think it could be one group responsible and I really hope they get caught soon.

Melford Road is better as one way, but they need to allow cars to turn right into Underhill Road - it's a nightmare if you are trying to get back towards Forest Hill Road from Sydenham, traffic is so heavy - if you go down Sydenham Rise the traffic can be backed up right to Sydenham Hill, if you go down Sydenham Hill you are forced to add to the huge weight of traffic going down Lordship Lane, all the way to Overhill Road. This is one crazy bit of Road Traffic Management. James, if you are going to get that No U Turn sign put back, maybe you can get the one lower down taken way whilst you are at it, to ease some of the awful congestion, and let people turn right into Underhill Road. Thanks.

I have heard in Twitter the the PRAP is facing cuts and Terry is to be sacked. Does anyone know anything more? Is it closing, or are they reducing the hours...or what??

Love it. The UFH that runs off your boiler (wet system) costs more to put in but is cheaper to run. Electric is cheaper to install but more costly to run. We have it in our kitchen and adore it. It's on a separate control to the rest of the house which is fab too as we spend more time in here and can make it cosy without heating the whole house. Our girls lie on the floor a lot too and the hard tiles feel strangely soft underfoot when warm. I actually miss it in the summer! Go for it, if it's laid right you shouldn't have problems with it so just make sure you have a good installation team. Xxx

James - thank you for the offer of support, but I would like to try to resolve this myself with the school initially. The Head is pretty receptive, I think just not really aware of the issue and frustrations. If no success I will revert to you.

Our school keeps the cupboard locked so whilst my ten year old can manage to look for her own stuff my six year old can't. This was today's experience Get key from reception, go to cupboard (which was full last Friday when I searched it). It's now empty save two school jumpers. See school caretaker & ask when it was emptied "yesterday" is the response. OK so my daughter last her coat on Wednesday & as I work 4.5 days Friday afternoon is the first chance I get to look for it. So I ask "is it all now bagged in the basement?" and am told yes. "Can I look in the bag"..... No once it's in the basement that's it, but if you describe it I will TRY to look for it". At this point (after years of frustration about this) I explode...."what if it's raining? My daughter needs her rain coat. I'm a working mum, it was lost two days ago & now it's in the basement.... It has her name in it.....this is not OK. Is it not possible for someone to reunite children with clothes that are named?". End of a long week, tired, second coat lost in a month. Yes I'm upset. I did take a few moments and return to apologise to the caretaker, but honestly it isn't right is it. We can't all be there every day to look for lost property. Best of all I then found the darn thing, hung on a peg in the wrong cloakroom, but what if it had been in the cupboard on Wednesday and bagged up the next day? They need a better system. It's flipping insane & I am now on a mission!

Hi all I'm interested to know how other schools manage lost property. At my daughters school it all gets bundled into a cupboard, whether it's labelled or not. When the cupboard is full it gets bagged up & put in the basement & then eventually put out On tables in the playground a couple of times. If it has a name in it you do stand a chance Of getting it back but often only after a few months. I got a mouldy pack lunch returned the Other day & had to bin it - I kid you not!! It really, really winds me up that even though I take time to put names in stuff it still gets Put in the cupboard. I work & only manage the school run once or twice a week by which time things Have often gone to the basement black hole. If it's a rain coat it's a disaster. I know schools must have a lot of lost clothes but there must be a better way surely? Weekly Lost property monitors or something??? I would happily go through it all once a month to find items That belong to children in my girls classes & I'm sure others would to. Please share any useful experiences before I totally loose the plot!!

We did our side return about a year ago. But kept a 'courtyard garden so double doors from lounge open into the courtyard. Hall door opens into what was the dining room - the bay window we put french doors also into the courtyard and have a settee there. Then the kitchen opens out across the entire width of the back of the house, e.g. extended out in to the side return, with the kitchen now where the side return was, and room for a lovely big table that seats up to 10 (usually 6 though) with easy access all around. Kitchen sink is beneath a window looking into the courtyard and towards the sitting room, and then big bi-fold doors across the back of the house, and a velux in the side return roof. Love our set up, and that we can still have doors from the sitting room opening up into fresh air, and the layout as a whole has changed our lives as a family, I literally live in my kitchen now between settee, table and cooking!!! Hubby and kids use the sitting room more though!! Still managed to fit a downstairs loo in as well, which is at the end of the hall (by stealing a bit of what was the dining room. Not sure if I have explained this very well, but it's an alternative way of doing things, and I am told Southwark are happier giving planning for this than a full side return too! Shout if I can be of any further help. Amanda

Hi, I have this LP "Scouse the Mouse" starring Ringo Starr which I'd love to get transferred to digital format does anyone know anyone locally that does this? It's from my childhood & I'd love my own kids to hear it. We also have a box of very random vinyl to clear out if anyone is a collector? Thanks in advance for any help.

ralee Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I found this rat in my house! Seems to have set up > camp - look at his face :) Ralee - he or she is adorable. I want one!!!!